


Happiness and Sorrow Arise From Change

by VerySlowFanfictionWriter



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Politics, Sexist Language, Strong Female Characters, Strong Haruno Sakura, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:15:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25252975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VerySlowFanfictionWriter/pseuds/VerySlowFanfictionWriter
Summary: Tsunade's alcoholism causes her to be rejected as the Fifth Hokage. With no one else to turn to, Jiraiya becomes the Fifth Hokage and Tsunade becomes Naruto's mentor on their training trip. Jiraiya becomes Sakura's mentor and Sasuke does not leave the village. In these new situations, the characters discover who they truly are, for better and for worse.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	1. Hokage

“She is not acceptable,” Shikaku Nara stated blandly as Jiraiya announced Tsunade as Fifth Hokage to the clan heads.

Silence followed Nara’s statement. Jiraiya and Naruto were stunned, while most of the faces of the other clan heads in the planning office were covered in nervousness. Yoshino Nara, however, nodded vigorously at her husband’s remark. Tsunade scoffed under her breath.

“Nara, I must have misheard you,” Jiraiya said in a low voice. “Could you repeat that?”

“Her hands are shaking, she’s sweating, and she looks nauseous. You brought back a woman and declared her the Fifth Hokage while she’s suffering from alcohol withdrawal.” Yoshino snarled. “A drunk will not command my son or husband.”

“Having your old lady fight your battles for you, huh, Nara?” Jiraiya mocked, the volume of his voice increasing as the tone in the room grew tenser.

“She’s much more observant than you,” Shikaku responded, his voice dangerously lackadaisical while his eyes remained sharp. 

“Lady Tsunade is the best!” Naruto yelled at Shikaku. “Do you know how cool she is? She can break a mountain with her hands! She cares so much! She’ll be a great Hokage!”

“Hokage is a position where calm and decisive decisions must be consistently made,” Shibi Aburame stated, the faces of himself and his wife unreadable. “Alcohol dependency would introduce risk to our forces, which could lead to the deaths of many good shinobi.”

“Wow, me and the kid here just risked our asses with Orochimaru and Itachi Uchiha, and now you’re telling Lady Tsunade and us to kick rocks,” Jiraiya stated coldly. “This isn’t a democracy here, you know?”

“The Hokage as a position retains power because of the support of the clans,” Hiashi Hyuuga interjected as the clan heads rustled in anger.

“… Of course,” Jiraiya relented, eyes flaring.

“Lady Tsunade is right here, and she will probably kick all your dumb asses!” Naruto yelled. “You guys are the worst!”

“Careful, Naruto, you don’t want to be offending the people you’ll need to support you when you’re Hokage,” Tsunade finally stated, sitting up from her chair before addressing the crowd of angry clan heads. “I hear you, you don’t want me, and I didn’t want you either. I was going to take this job because I like the kid, and I was going to hate every second of it. I will still serve if I’m the candidate you hate least, but if you want someone else, I’m fucking glad about it.

“Yes, I have… had a problem with alcohol,” Tsunade continued. “But if I were to become Hokage, I would be clear-headed. I feel better than I have in years mentally, even though the physical symptoms today are unpleasant.”

“We can’t take the risk,” Shikaku responded. “I will not support you becoming Hokage.”

“I also will not support Tsunade as Hokage,” Hiashi added.

A chorus of agreement came around the office as the majority of clan heads declared Tsunade unfit. The volume of agreement increased as it became clear that the most powerful clans would not support Tsunade.

“So, who do you support, Nara?” Jiraiya ground out, feeling both angry and heartbroken for his friend. “Yourself?”

“You’re the least bad choice,” Shikaku answered. “You and Tsunade are the strongest ninja in our village, but you have been more loyal and strategic than Tsunade. You are a mediocre politician and often a miserable person, but you are the only choice for Hokage.”

Jiraiya’s face contorted into a twisted smile as Tsunade had to stop herself from laughing, and Naruto looked ready to fight.

“I disagree with Nara,” Hiashi responded. “We cannot settle for a terrible option when our village is so weak.”

“Then, who?” Choza Akimichi asked, voice weary.

“More options must be considered,” Hiashi said.

“Most of us in this room have tried to think up options for weeks, and we’ve found no one acceptable,” Inochi Yamanaka responded. “There is no good option in the village unless you can make a clone of thirteen-year-old Itachi Uchiha. Jiraiya as Hokage would provide strength to the village while introducing a limited number of risks.”

“Wow, I am Hokage or chopped liver? I’m right here!” Jiraiya said. “What if I told you again that I don’t want it?”

“Those of us that support you for Hokage know that you would never endanger the village,” Shikaku answered. “And choosing someone else would endanger the village.”

“Well, except for the woman that this is supposed to be about,” Jiraiya answered, anxiety rising inside him.

“We disagree on that point, I will, however, support you as Hokage,” Shikaku answered, rising from his seat. “Let’s meet again in a few days to finish this business.”

\--

“Naruto, I knew I shouldn’t have had you in there!” Jiraiya screamed as he, Naruto, Tsunade, and Shizune reached Jiraiya’s Leaf Village home. “You fucked up so bad you made me a desk slave!”

“Being Hokage is a great honor!” Naruto yelled back, meeting Jiraiya’s accusing finger with his own. “And I’m not the guy who started insulting a clan head’s wife!”

“Well, I didn’t threaten them!” Jiraiya screamed. “You are never going to speak to anyone important again! You’ll never speak again if I have my say!”

“So, Jiraiya will become the Fifth Hokage?” Shizune asked, attempting to get filled in after missing the earlier meeting.

“It’s not certain, but it’s likely,” Tsunade answered, a cold glass of water pressed against her skull as alcohol withdrawal continued to take a toll. “Jiraiya has been endorsed by influential figures, and there are few others who could be picked with me being declared unacceptable.”

“Yeah, and you better do a good job!” Naruto yelled at Jiraiya. “I’m going to be the Sixth Hokage, and I don’t want to clean up your mistakes!”

“Your lack of tact would cause a war in a week!” Jiraiya screamed, head in his hands. “I’m going to be the worst Hokage yet, and you’ll still be lucky to be a fraction of my shadow!”

“Argue about who is the bigger fuckup somewhere else,” Tsunade stated, eyes half-closed. “This conversation is worse than the withdrawal.”

“I’m sorry, granny,” Naruto said, quieting and looking sheepish. “Do you need a doctor?”

“She is the doctor, kid,” Jiraiya scoffed as he tapped his foot and leaned back in his chair. “Fuck, I’m going to be Hokage… Wonder how sensei would feel about his student moping about becoming the fucking Hokage.”

“I’m sorry, Jiraiya,” Tsunade said. “But you shouldn’t have relied on a lush for your escape.”

“I’m sorry for bringing you into this,” Jiraiya said softly. “What they said about you—”

“Was unfortunately true,” Tsunade said, moving her head back and forth for something to do.

“… It was cruel,” Jiraiya continued. “I turned kids into corpses and watched friends die. It’s driven me to drink before. And you’ve seen worse than me… These clan heads don’t understand how the world actually works.”

“And now you have to lead them,” Tsunade stated. “Best of luck.”

\--

“We have discussed the matter over the last week, and have decided to support you for Hokage, Jiraiya,” Shibi Aburame said to Jiraiya at the next clan head meeting. “We have our doubts about your capabilities, but our doubts regarding any other candidate were far more concerning.”

“Thanks for the ringing endorsement,” Jiraiya answered, eyes darting between Shibi, the other clan heads, Tsunade, and the closed window. “I… will accept the honor of becoming the Fifth Hokage.”

“Thank you for your service to the village,” Shikaku said blandly. “Now, as all important parties are gathered, and we have a Hokage, we need to discuss important matters.”

“What, no parade?” Jiraiya asked, scoffing without heat.

“Itachi is after Naruto, and everyone in the room is clear to why,” Shikaku continued, Naruto breaking his vow of silence with a sudden yelp. “This is a perilous situation for both Naruto and the village. Itachi could kill many great Leaf shinobi if he comes after Naruto again. What Itachi plans to do with the Nine-Tailed Fox is unclear, but if he managed to harness that power, he could massacre our forces with ease.”

“So, what exactly are you suggesting?” Tsunade interjected, stony-faced.

“Naruto must be protected and the village as well. I believe that Naruto should be assigned a powerful shinobi to travel with. He would be protected from danger, he would be more difficult to find, and Itachi would have less motivation to attack our forces. Naruto can return when our village is stronger, and he can better utilize the Nine-Tailed Fox,” Shikaku explained.

“You want me to exile my genius student on my first day of being Hokage?” Jiraiya yelled.

“Stop being dramatic, this isn’t exile,” Yoshino Nara answered. “Keeping Naruto in the village is an invitation for Itachi to come after the Leaf Village again. Naruto is a child, and we have just buried some of our best men and women.”

“Hey, don’t talk like I’m helpless!” Naruto yelled, Jiraiya’s veins on his forehead immediately becoming more prominent. “I just learned the Rasengan. I can protect myself and the village!”

“Do you believe you are much stronger than your comrade, Sasuke Uchiha?” Shibi asked. “Itachi put him into a coma with a glance. You’ve shown everyone you have the potential to be a powerful shinobi, but you are still just a child.”

“I…” Naruto mumbled, body language slumping badly as he thought of Itachi.

“Who would accompany Naruto?” Tsunade asked.

“Hatake seems the most reasonable choice,” Hiashi answered. “He is one of our most powerful shinobi, and he is Naruto’s sensei. However, we will have to wait for Hatake to recover from his last battle with Itachi Uchiha before their journey could begin.”

“No, I still disagree with the suggestion of Kakashi,” Inoichi Yamanaka interjected with irritation. “Sasuke has been marked for capture by the shinobi that just killed Lord Third! Sasuke needs to learn to protect himself from an immensely powerful mass murderer, and Kakashi is the best possible teacher for the boy!”

“I too remember the death of our Hokage last month,” Hiashi responded, tilting his head as slightly as possible towards Inoichi. “However, I have confidence that Lord Third’s jutsu has neutralized Orochimaru as a threat compared to Itachi.”

“He didn’t seem that neutralized,” Jiraiya mumbled with a scowl. “I believe my former teammate isn’t strong enough to attack the Leaf directly as of now, but kidnapping and assassination are certainly possible until Sasuke gets stronger. I’m with Yamanaka, I don’t want Sasuke separated from Kakashi.”

“Then the issue becomes if one or us or another elite level shinobi will accompany Naruto outside of the village,” Shikaku said, causing a slight stiffening from Shibi and a face of greater blankness from Hiashi. Naruto grew pale and agitated and immediately glanced at Jiraiya and then Tsunade, fear evident.

“I’ll do it,” Tsunade stated, walking over to Naruto, placing her hand on his shoulder.

“WHAT?” Jiraiya screamed.

“I’m the strongest shinobi here and maybe the strongest shinobi alive,” Tsunade answered, glancing around the room to see if any dared challenge this. “If anyone can protect Naruto from Itachi, it’s me.”

“But I need you,” Jiraiya hissed, his face in despair.

“You are unsuitable for this task also,” Hiashi interjected as some clan heads looked with concern at Jiraiya. “Your alcohol dependency could reappear at any moment, and Naruto is too strong of an asset to risk.”

“Fuck you too,” Tsunade growled, finally losing her patience, killing intent obvious and overwhelming. “Naruto helped rescue me from depression and addiction, and I will not fail in protecting him… If Naruto himself is agreeable to the idea.”

“… Of course, Lady Tsunade!” Naruto shouted through a lump in his throat. “Yeah, that sounds great!”

“So, are we good here?” Tsunade asked, glaring at the conflicted faces in front of her, desperately avoiding Jiraiya’s gaze. “I will take my leave.”

\--

“Oh, there you are,” Jiraiya responded blandly to Tsunade as she approached him, he leaning against a railing, later that night on his porch. It was well past midnight, Tsunade was approaching Jiraiya as Jiraiya turned back at look at the Hokage Tower, barely visible from his home, continuing to puff away at his pipe.

“I was giving Shizune a tour and some advice,” Tsunade said as she leaned on the railing to look at Jiraiya. “I convinced the hospital to make her one of the top doctors here, and she will also instruct. She’s smart, and she was excited once I got her waterworks to stop.”

“Oh, and it’s now it’s time to comfort me?” Jiraiya snorted out.

“I’ll be back in a few years, you’re a big boy, you’ll be able to handle it.”

“I’m a garbage leader replacing our just killed Sensei, I have no one I can trust in this village I’m leading, and my best friend is taking my student to make me totally alone as well as trapped.”

“Naruto isn’t safe here,” Tsunade responded in a quieter tone. “I agree with Nara and the others, he needs to be trained and protected outside the village. You were the best choice to protect Naruto, but you’re the Hokage now. The brat likes me for some reason, and I’m one of the two people alive who could protect him from Itachi.”

“Oh, so you’re going to get yourself killed fighting Itachi now?” Jiraiya snapped, turning his head to look at Tsunade. Jiraiya waited for an answer, but Tsunade merely glared at him before he backed down, turning again to look at the village.

“I will keep myself and Naruto safe,” Tsunade said after a moment. “For the first time in years, I have no plan to die. I won’t leave you like sensei had to.”

Jiraiya closed his eyes suddenly, but tears still leaked out, Tsunade reaching over to rub his shoulder. They were silent for many moments before Tsunade spoke again.

“I’m sorry I have to leave.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Jiraiya mumbled.


	2. Departures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jiraiya becomes the Hokage and Team 7 is broken apart.

After declaring Kakashi healthy enough to handle the news of Naruto’s departure, Tsunade and Jiraiya commanded Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to meet at Kakashi’s hospital room. Once they were assembled, Jiraiya delivered the news to the rest of Team 7 while Naruto looked on appearing sad and guilty.

“Naruto should stay with me,” Kakashi answered quietly but quickly. Near him, Sakura looked on the verge of speaking but stopped by surprise and fear. Sasuke merely glowered at Jiraiya and Naruto.

“Absolutely not. Naruto can’t stay in the village,” Jiraiya gruffly answered with more confidence than he felt. “Itachi is after him, and if Naruto remains in the Leaf, he’s a sitting duck with a shitton of future collateral damage around him.”

“And why does Itachi want Naruto?” Sasuke attempted to ground out before yelling, face contorted.

“You’re not the sharpest tool, so I’ll just spell it out for you. Keep your mouth shut on this one. Naruto contains the Nine-Tailed Fox,” Jiraiya said to a gasp from Sakura and sudden silence from Sasuke. “We don’t know what Itachi wants with the Fox, but it’s clear that he’s after Naruto for that power. If Itachi could figure out how to channel the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox, he would be able to kill us all. That’s something that as your Hokage I want to avoid.”

Jiraiya had informed Naruto that he would be revealing Naruto’s secret to Sakura and Sasuke, but that did not make the pit of shame and fear in Naruto’s stomach feel any better as they looked at Sakura and Sasuke. Kakashi, too, was focused on reactions of his other two students, anxiety flowing through him.

“So that’s where your power comes from,” Sasuke finally mumbled out to a sharp look from Kakashi.

“Naruto can barely handle the Fox at all yet,” Tsunade said, rolling her eyes. “That’s partially what I’ll work with him on while we’re gone. Don’t start feeling like your dick is big again because you can pretend your teammate is only strong because of a demon.”

Sasuke glared at Tsunade until her complete lack of interest in him caused him to wilt back. Sakura turned away from Sasuke to look back at Naruto.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sakura asked Naruto, his eyes pointed at the ground.

“… I didn’t want you to hate me like everyone else did,” Naruto said quietly. Managing to hold back tears.

“Oh, come on, Naruto!” Sakura yelled, moving over to give her teammate a hug. Naruto flinched back, expecting a blow at first, only relaxing a few moments into the embrace, breaking into a huge smile as some tears escaped.

“You have to stay safe for the rest of Team 7, okay?” Sakura said.

“I agree, but we also have to talk about Team 7,” Jiraiya said, pulling his eyes away from the happy display to look back at Kakashi and Sasuke. All of the former members of Team 7 quickly turned their focus to their new Hokage.

“Orochimaru has obviously marked the Uchiha as a target with that curse seal. He’s been too weakened by Lord Third to launch another full-scale attack, but a targeted kidnapping is possible. Hatake, Uchiha, your mission for the next two years is to stay in this village and train. Hatake, you need to spend all of your time protecting the kid, so we’re dissolving Team 7. We’ll find another spot for Haruno, preferably inside the village so she can’t be as easily kidnapped to be used as bait.”

“You can’t take Sakura away from Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto screamed, breaking away from Sakura to get closer to Jiraiya and to point at yell at the man. “She’s so smart and hardworking and strong! Kakashi-sensei is the strongest shinobi in the village, and now you want to give Sakura to a shitty teacher so that Sasuke can get more help!”

“He needs Hatake more because a powerful mass murderer is after him!” Jiraiya yelled back, embarrassed, but unable to control his volume around Naruto. “Haruno will be taken care of!”

“I’m not one to speak up against command, but I must agree with Naruto, Lord Fifth,” Kakashi interjected, looking over at Sakura, her body language looking devastated. “I can handle Sasuke and Sakura, especially if I don’t need to go on missions.”

“You need to mentor and protect Sasuke as much as possible until he is strong enough,” Tsunade said. “Sasuke’s ability to work in a cell will be diminished by this training regime, but it must be done if he’s to survive encounters with Orochimaru. Haruno will be trained well and protected.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Sasuke ground out. “I need to become more powerful and kill Itachi. You have no right to keep me away from missions.”

"Kid, my last father figure was killed by a man who used to be a good friend of mine," Jiraiya answered in a more tired tone. "What Itachi did to you and your family is unimaginable to someone who is not a shinobi, but I get it. You're going to train for twelve hours a day under the Leaf's strongest shinobi other than Tsunade and me. If you go out on missions, you'll probably get kidnapped and experimented on by a child murderer. The only way you don't get significantly more powerful under this arrangement is if you're a shitty student. Now please sit down and shut up for a moment while I deal with the rest of your team."

"Lord Fifth," Sakura mumbled, turning away from Sasuke as her teammate's face became unreadable. "Are… which shinobi are under consideration for my training?"

"It should be you, Pervy Sage!" Naruto exclaimed, turning back to Jiraiya. "You can teach Sakura all the smart seal stuff, and she can probably teach you about being organized and stuff!"

"If you hadn't noticed, brat, I'm currently the Hokage," Jiraiya hissed back at Naruto. "I have no time to take on training as well."

"Oh please! Training Sakura will probably take up the time you would have spent leering at women!" Naruto said as Sakura became paler, Naruto also having the same thought process as Sakura before adding. "Hey, you better not do anything pervy around Sakura!"

"She's 13, and I'm not teaching her!" Jiraiya screamed back, looking like he wanted to ring Naruto by the neck. "Just shut up so I can answer Sakura's question."

"No way, you're the only shinobi as strong as Kakashi-sensei. Sakura can't fall behind Sasuke or Sasuke's head will go even further up his own ass. You have to teach her!"

"I will not teach her; we will devise candidates within the next few days," Jiraiya said, turning back to Sakura.

"You have to teach her!" Naruto continued in a higher pitch scream. "You could teach her all the seal stuff you said I was too dumb to learn."

"I could also be one of your assistants to save you time, Lord Fifth," Sakura added, leery of Jiraiya's apparent sexism but too intrigued by the possibility of learning sealing from a legendary shinobi. "I have studied a good deal of political theory, and I am very organized."

"Fine," Jiraiya ground out as he preempted another louder screech from Naruto. "You will be training under me, Haruno. You'll be working with me from just past dawn to just before dusk, starting next week. You better be as smart as this brat thinks you are."

"Thank you, Lord Fifth," Sakura said quickly, cutting through Naruto's yell of victory as she bowed deeply, smiling in relief that she wasn't being left behind.

"I know this is difficult on all of you," Jiraiya continued after a breath. "But this is a decision being made with your safety as the top priority. I hope you will be able to understand this."

"That's all for today, Naruto and I are leaving in two days," Tsunade added to a sharp breath from Kakashi. "Naruto, you are dismissed until then. Say your goodbyes and pack what you need for the trip. We won't be back for a few years."

\--

Jiraiya and Tsunade left the hospital room to the sound of a silent former Team 7. The silence dragged for several long moments before Sakura finally spoke.

“I’m sorry so many people were mean to you for… that thing,” Sakura said to Naruto, Naruto immediately becoming smaller and tilting his eyes away from her gaze. “And that’s why they were so awful, wasn’t it? It was so wrong they did that to you. I should have helped…”

“You were a child, Sakura,” Kakashi said quietly, guilt in his voice.

“That’s how you beat Neji and Gaara, isn’t it?” Sasuke asked Naruto, earning unkind looks from Sakura and Kakashi.

“Yes,” Naruto ground out, muscles tensing as he looked at Sasuke’s glare.

“I knew it,” Sasuke scoffed, face relaxing. “I knew it. I bet you’d be as weak as a woman without that thing inside you.”

Naruto quaked with unexpected rage and became choked with tears. He opened his mouth to respond before gawking as Sakura punched Sasuke in the back of the head.

“Hey, woman here!” Sakura yelled, tears running down her face.

“Yeah, and Tsunade could beat the shit out of you with one finger!” Naruto yelled through his tears.

Sasuke looked around the room in anger, hurt pride, disbelief, and some shame at the furious faces of Sakura and Naruto along with Kakashi’s stony expression.

“Sakura, Naruto, could you head out?” Kakashi asked. “I need to tell my student more horror stories about my past and about dead men and women I loved to hopefully teach him to treat his comrades with respect. Naruto, Sasuke and I will see you off… I will miss you while you’re gone.”

\--

Naruto and Sakura walked blindly out of the hospital, Sakura holding Naruto’s arm, squeezing his shoulder while muttering that everything was okay. Naruto didn’t understand why he’s was crying so much; he had been hurt worse before… But the tears didn’t stop.

“Hey, Naruto, what’s—Naruto, are you okay? What happened?” Choji asked as Team 10 spotted Naruto and Sakura.

Sakura grimaced but turned towards Team 10 as she knew, if she fled, these startled people would turn into question-askers who would tip others off that something was up with Naruto.

“Hey Choji, hey Ino, hey Shikamaru,” Sakura said, her and Naruto walking towards the group, Naruto blushing red as they got closer to Team 10, trying to halt his sniffles. “Naruto and I just got a lot of rough news—nothing life-endangering, don’t worry—and we’re just overwhelmed.”

“Sakura, what happened?” Ino demanded, rushing over to Sakura to grasp Sakura’s free hand. “I’ve never seen you act this around Naruto!”

“Well…” Sakura said, wishing that Naruto would speak and save her while also hoping he wouldn’t talk and end up spilling state secrets. “Team 7 broke up.”

“What? No way!” Ino exclaimed as Shikamaru and Choji approached with concern as well. “Is Kakashi-sensei retiring?”

“No!” Sakura yelled, looking nervously at the foot traffic in the blocks surrounding them. They had ended up near the financial district, and there were too many people around to hear her potentially make a slip-up. Her eyes finally darted to Choji before deciding on a plan. “Ino, I’ll tell you if Choji buys all of us lunch at his family’s restaurant, private booth!”

“Deal,” Ino responded quickly, Choji blanching as Shikamaru was torn between intrigue and laughing.

\--

“So, the new Hokage thinks Sasuke is too valuable to risk, so Kakashi-sensei has to train Sasuke exclusively from now on,” Sakura said, eating her beef bowl with more gusto than she expected. “So, we were all assigned to new masters and won’t get to see each other nearly as much.”

“And you’re not telling us who this new Hokage is,” Shikamaru stated, leaning forwards slightly in the booth the five of them sat in, face being challenging to read.

“Oh please, I bet you all know from your dads, and I’m not going to give out classified information,” Sakura said. Upon seeing the disgruntled looks on their faces, Sakura broke into a grin as she grabbed a chicken leg.

“So, who’s teaching you and Naruto?” Ino asked. “Come on, tell us that, at least!”

“All will be revealed shortly,” Sakura answered with a smirk that successfully pushed Ino’s face into the direction of hostility.

“And what else happened?” Shikamaru asked, his posture not nearly relaxed enough for Sakura’s liking. “Naruto doesn’t cry like that.”

“Why? Do you wanna know how you can make fun of me better?” Naruto asked, finally speaking up. Sakura kept her face neutral and managed to keep herself from looking at Naruto, but her heartbeat ticked up as Naruto entered the conversation.

“No, but I have to say that Sasuke getting you to cry is a first,” Shikamaru answered, Naruto scowling at Shikamaru immediately figuring out the person.

“He just… Sensei told him and Sakura something really personal about me and… Sakura was really nice, but so much has been happening, so it was already tough and… I didn’t think Sasuke would say those things.”

“I’m sorry, Naruto,” Choji said, shaking his head. “It always hurts so bad when people you care about make fun of you.”

“Thanks, Choji… And that the bastard goes and says, ‘I bet without… I bet you’re actually as strong as a woman!’ like Sakura hasn’t been so cool and brave with Team 7. Like Lady Tsunade couldn’t beat that asshole with a toe!”

Shikamaru looked like he was trying even harder to figure out what was happening here, causing Sakura to sweat, but Ino was just pissed.

“That’s right, Naruto!” Ino said, slamming a closed fist on the table. “I’m so sick of these stupid guys saying that girls can’t fight or be useful. I had a crush on this super cute boy in the academy who was always ranked lower than me. And then he goes and tells me that when we get married, he should go off and be the ninja while I raised the kids forever. I kicked his ass so hard that the teachers had to call my parents. They told me, ‘oh, Ino, all boys are super dumb until they grow up’… but I hate it!”

“Even Shikamaru here makes fun of women all the time!” Ino continued, turning her glare to her now startled teammate. “Complaining about his super smart and beautiful mom all the time. Whenever he and I have to spar, he says, ‘what a drag sensei, I shouldn’t have to fight a girl’ like he has any taijutsu skill. He’s always saying ‘women are such liars and so annoying’ like he’s not the most fucking annoying bitch on the team. And—”

“I’m really sorry, should I leave, Ino?” Naruto asked meekly, Sakura being torn between joining Ino in her anger or joining Naruto in a retreat.

“No!” Ino screamed, before seeing Naruto’s obviously scared face. Ino closed her eyes and performed what appeared to be breathing exercises for a few moments before opening her eyes and addressing Naruto again. “No, Naruto… I’m sorry for yelling like this. It’s just been hard being around Shikamaru’s… Shikamaru-ness for a year and then hear that the hottest guy in town is saying that garbage too… I just want a hot guy who isn’t garbage!”

“And it was like Sasuke didn’t even care I was there!” Sakura fumed to her friend. “Like I was going to always worship at his feet even if he called me trash. I actually hit him for the first time… But it was also about what he said about Naruto. It was too cruel.”

“Thanks, Sakura,” Naruto mumbled, tears coming back to his eyes as he got up from the table. “Thanks for the food, Choji. It was really good… I’m going to head back to my apartment.”

“See you again soon, Naruto,” Sakura said. “Just tell me if you need anything, okay?”

“I’ll be okay, Sakura,” Naruto said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, causing Ino to narrow her eyes. “It’ll be okay.”

“I believe you,” Sakura said with limited conviction as she and the rest of the table watched Naruto retreat from the restaurant.

“So, will you tell us about what really happened now?” Shikamaru asked Sakura, causing Choji to wince and Ino to scowl.

“No, we can focus instead on what garbage you’re saying to my best friend despite you being a four at best,” Sakura snarled.

\--

Despite the need to prepare for his trip, Naruto spent the rest of the day on his bed. He was so glad that Sakura and maybe Kakashi accepted him, but Sasuke’s comment hurt… a lot. Naruto had agreed to Jiraiya’s request to reveal the Nine-Tails to Sakura and Sasuke, but now he regretted it.

And why was Sasuke being such a jerk to women? Didn’t he see how hard female shinobi had to work? Did he not care about Sakura either? Why did Team 7 have to have an asshole like Sasuke? Why did he feel so bad about the squad with the asshole being broken apart? Why did he want to stay in the village with people who hated him? Why did everything hurt so much? Why had his body felt so awful and strange recently?

What if Tsunade hated him once she knew him more?

These thoughts tormented Naruto, but the boy finally fell asleep near dawn, falling into a fitful rest.

\--

Naruto was awoken by the soft rapping of knuckles on his door. Naruto wondered for several moments whether to try to go back to sleep before the sunlight coming from under his doorframe showed the futility and foolishness of the idea. Groaning, Naruto began to get up as the knuckles began softly knocking again.

“Coming,” Naruto said with sleep infecting his voice. “I’m coming.”

“Naruto, are you okay?” asked an alarmed voice Naruto immediately recognized as Sakura. Naruto started at the idea of answering the door to her in his pajamas, but then realized he had fallen asleep in his uniform. Trying to put on less of a grimace and failing, Naruto opened up the door to his friend.

“I’m okay,” Naruto said, opening the door to his friend. Sakura’s face turned briefly into one of disgust as Naruto’s stench and unkemptness became clear, but her face then transformed into one of even greater concern.

“Hey,” Sakura said gently. “I wanted to help you pack for tomorrow… Should I come back later?”

“I’ll… Give me 20 minutes, okay?” Naruto answered, looking mostly at his feet. “Thank you for helping me…”

“Of course, I’ll grab some food for us and come back here,” Sakura said, nodding to Naruto as she walked off to market.

After a cold shower and a change of clothes for Naruto, he and Sakura sat at his table, eating rice and sticky pork in relative silence. Naruto looked around his dingy apartment in agitation, wishing his first time with a friend over could look less crappy.

“Naruto,” Sakura began, voice as low and gentle as she could manage. “Could I ask who else knows?”

“Iruka knows,” Naruto answered slowly. “I don’t know how many of the other adults know, but I think it’s a lot. I haven’t told Kiba or Choji or Lee or anyone else.”

“I see,” Sakura said, eyes on her rice and pork. “Do you know why you were chosen?”

“… No,” Naruto answered, not elaborating and keeping his eyes downward focused. Sakura immediately grimaced at her lack of tact, and an uncomfortable silence developed.

“Well, I’ve seen how much you care and how much you work, Naruto,” Sakura finally managed the courage to say. “Sasuke’s wrong.”

“Thanks,” Naruto mumbled. “Hope Sasuke can see that when I come back.”

“Me too,” Sakura said with a sad smile as she finished her pork. “And… Thank you for helping with Jiraiya-sensei. I would never have him as a teacher without you.”

“Yeah, I did manage that,” Naruto said with a sudden, excited grin. “Pervy sage is so strong, and he’ll teach you a lot. He knows like everything too. But you have to keep him from screwing up as Hokage!”

“First, I have to help you pack for your trip,” Sakura answered, rolling her eyes slightly.

“I’ve got it, Sakura!” Naruto said, getting up from his seat. “I just… it’s embarrassing.”

“Naruto, we’ve camped together,” Sakura answered.

“Yeah, but, like… This is my home, it’s different,” Naruto said with real worry in his voice. “Oh! And I have something I need you to do a lot more!”

“Yes? What is it, Naruto?” Sakura asked, annoyance creeping to her voice slightly.

“Could you… tell people that I’ll be gone for a while, but I’ll be back?” Naruto asked quietly.

“Of course, Naruto,” Sakura answered quickly. “But don’t you want to say goodbye?”

“I just… I can’t, I’m sorry. Please, Sakura?” Naruto asked, looking at her desperately.

“I will, Naruto, you have my word,” Sakura answered firmly, trying to hide the concern she felt.

“Thanks, Sakura,” Naruto answered with the shudder. “And thank you for lunch!”

“You owe me a dinner when you get back, Naruto!” Sakura said as she rose from the table. “Make it a little fancy, too, for the two years of interest.”

“Stop being mean to me,” Naruto whined with no heat as Sakura left Naruto’s apartment with a laugh.

\--

Packing was a slow and painful process for Naruto, but one he completed before dusk. Sleep was more difficult, however, and Naruto eventually gave up a few hours before he needed to depart with Tsunade. Naruto was perched on the rooftop of his building, waiting for dawn to break, looking out at the village as well as he could before the break of dawn.

Before he became a ninja, he would try to absorb the sight of the Leaf Village in the moonlight. No one would be around to yell at him or hurt him, and a lot of things still to see. He had to be quieter than he liked at night, but the rest was worth it.

Tapping his shoe to let out nervous energy, Naruto spied movement on the street, noticing a white cat emerging from a bush. As she crossed the road to the next block over, more cats began to follow, these cats obviously smaller. Naruto cooed quietly at the kittens trying to keep up with their mom and started to parkour to another building to get a better look. The mom and her kittens apparently were out exploring this night, and Naruto followed them on rooftop while giving names to each of the kittens. Spotty, Sakura, and Whirly appeared to be good cats that listened to their mom, but even they couldn't help but bicker and playfight every few minutes.

Eventually, the cats ducked into another bush, and Naruto passed on further pursuit. His trailing of the kittens had brought him to overseeing the plaza on the east side of the village. His good mood turned sour as he remembered the last time he went to the farmer's market this plaza frequently held. He had repeatedly asked other children for a piece of their candy, and eventually, the parents of those children noticed who he was. 

Turning away from the plaza, he noticed the Hyuuga estate a few hundred meters from him. He should have told Neji and others about his upcoming absence, but his anxiety kept him away. He had never been welcomed in the village, but now that he was going to be gone for so long, he was worried. Worry compounded by Sasuke's comments about the demon. He didn't want to be thinking about anyone else who hated him while trying to stay off Tsunade's bad side. So, he stayed away from Neji and everyone else. Internally emotional, Naruto moved along the rooftops until he could stare out at Team 7's old training ground. After a grueling two hours of waiting, Naruto headed the village's north entrance to meet up with Tsunade. He was early, but Tsunade, Jiraiya, Sakura, Kakashi, and Sasuke were already there.

"Yo," Kakashi said as Naruto approached the group. Kakashi looked slightly off-kilter outside of the hospital, but he didn't look too awful. Melancholy was evident on the faces of he and Sakura. Sasuke stood apart from them, his expression difficult to read.

"Hey," Naruto said with his throat sounding constricted. Naruto tried to say more before rushing over to hug Kakashi, to a sound of disapproval from Tsunade that reminded Naruto that Kakashi had been in the hospital for a month.

"Oh, sorry!" Naruto said as he released Kakashi from the hug, Kakashi and Jiraiya laughing.

"I'm OK, Naruto, don't worry," Kakashi said, ruffling Naruto's hair to Naruto's indignation. "Unless you're doing brain hugs, I think I'll be alright."

"Don't try to use that attitude to get into any dangerous situations, Hatake," Tsunade growled. "Your body has just spent a month on a bed after enduring the side effects of mental torture. You need to pass every test I assigned before you even start thinking about doing anything."

"Yes, Ma'am," Kakashi sighed as Jiraiya, Naruto, and Sakura laughed. "Well, you know why we're here mostly, but I talked to Sasuke, and he wants to apologize before you head out."

"It's okay, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto started quickly before being interrupted by Sasuke almost immediately.

"I… forget myself at times, Naruto," Sasuke said in a voice that sounded practiced. "I shouldn't have said what I said about you."

Naruto waited for Sasuke to continue before it became clear Sasuke was finished. Naruto wanted to demand more of Sasuke, but… he also just wanted to be gone of Sasuke. So, Naruto remained silent, giving a single nod in response to Sasuke's apology.

"We're going to miss you, Naruto," Sakura said as she walked up to Naruto and gave him a hug. "Learn some cool jutsu so you can protect everyone, okay?"

"Believe it!" Naruto yelled at a volume loud enough to make Kakashi wince. "Sorry, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, that's the thing I'll miss about you," Jiraiya said. "We're both lovable fuckups, but I have all the brains, and you get all the negative attention."

"Shut up and act like a Hokage, Pervy Sage!" Naruto yelled. "A true Hokage would—"

"Yeah yeah, whatever, I'm gonna miss you, kid," Jiraiya said as he put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Tsunade's even tougher than you think, remember to stay close to her and run like hell when you can't."

"Are you ready, Naruto?" Tsunade asked gently. "Do you need to grab anything else?"

"No," Naruto said, pointing at his backpack. "I'm ready, Lady Tsunade."

"Then let's get going," Tsunade said, slinging a bag over her shoulder and giving Jiraiya a brief hug. "Naruto and I will be back as soon as we can, and we'll be fine. Stay safe so that we have something to look forward to in this godawful place."


	3. Transformation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke, Jiraiya, and Sakura start their new lives.

"As you probably noticed, I don't fight like most Uchiha do," Kakashi stated at Team 7's old training ground, Sasuke observing from a log he was sitting on. It was a week since Naruto and Tsunade had left the village. Kakashi had only been out of the hospital for four days, but he was already starting on Sasuke's training and early in the morning at that. "I can't fight that way. My body is not in tune with my Sharingan, and it drains chakra quickly."

"Instead," Kakashi continued, making a small sphere of fire appear over his hand with a quick hand-sign. "I try to fight like my teacher, Lord Fourth. Sensei was a genius, a man who understood the situation of each and every battle better than his opponent."

"After the war," Kakashi continued, "sensei and I were after a group of shinobi who had refused to accept Iwa's defeat. Instead, they had banded together as a terrorist cell, attacking civilians of both sides to try to prove whatever point they thought they were making. He confronted the leader on a large tree. The leader was a former major general of Iwa, he was powerful, and sensei was exhausted from how long it had taken to track this cell down. But sensei quickly realized something the other man did not, this tree was old, and some of the areas appeared brittle. So, sensei summoned a shadow clone to distract the disgraced general and began making a jutsu to detect the wood's structural integrity. He created the jutsu in minutes, it was crude, but it worked. He then managed to lure his opponent to an area where the wood was weak, casting a jutsu on himself to prevent his steps from causing a break in the branch. After some moments of fighting, the part of the tree where they were battling cracked under the former general's feet, causing him to lose balance. Sensei killed him instantly."

"One moment of advantage is all you need to kill a man when you are a shinobi," Kakashi stressed, staring intensely at Sasuke. "Now, my master was a genius, and I'm just a pale shadow of his greatness. I lack the ability to react and create like sensei did. So instead, I memorize. I memorize every jutsu I can and every situation I can and what jutsu may create an advantage in each type of situation."

"That's where this guy comes in handy," Kakashi said, gesturing towards his covered Sharingan. "I couldn't have become 1000-jutsu-Kakashi without the Sharingan. But it takes a tremendous amount of work to make up for my lack of genius. Work you will have to put in every day for the next two years, Sasuke. I intend to make you a knockoff of me because I'm a lousy teacher, and I don't know what else to try."

"How will that help me kill Itachi when he put you in a coma?" Sasuke asked with significant heat.

"Well," Kakashi began, tone becoming less serious and slightly more annoyed. "You should try and remember this training isn't about killing Itachi, it's about preventing Orochimaru from kidnapping you and turning your body into another fleshy vessel for his body. But if you're only motivated by killing Itachi, you should hold on to the fact that you have two Sharingan eyes, and they don't drain nearly as much chakra from your body."

"We're going to test out how much chakra these eyes use, in fact," Kakashi said, covering the distance between himself and Sasuke in a fraction of a second, Sasuke flinching despite his best efforts. "I am going to use dozens of jutsu against you today, and I expect you to dodge most of them and memorize all of them. We will go until you physically can't use your Sharingan anymore. Afterward, we will meet and discuss how you could use each and every one of these jutsu. I have created test questions for each jutsu of mine as I had nothing better to do in the hospital. For each question you fail to give a satisfactory answer to, you will take a lap around the village carrying however much weight I think is appropriate."

"I know you're glad you're getting more one-on-one instruction," Kakashi said, eye-smiling as he ruffled Sasuke's hair. "Now, let's get started."

\--

Sakura and Jiraiya were in the Hokage's office, Jiraiya silent after having just finished a meeting on monetary standards that Sakura herself barely understood and Jiraiya seemed completely ignorant regarding. Sakura had not wanted to interrupt Jiraiya's silence, but he had not spoken in nearly ten minutes and had continued to stare at a wall. Gathering her courage, Sakura finally began to speak.

"I apologize for my rudeness, Lord Fifth, but we need to talk about the canal repair bill the Farm Association proposed. The parties involved wanted a response by tomorrow," Sakura managed to get out, voice quaking slightly.

"Oh, that's right," Jiraiya said, falling back in his chair, face falling as well. "Sakura, can you summarize the issue?"

"Of course, Lord Fifth," Sakura answered quickly. "Farmers further along the canal have noticed that they have been receiving less water than is legally theirs due to the water right. These farmers sent surveyors along the canal, and these surveyors concluded that rats have been digging holes in the canal that is causing a large amount of water loss. The Farmer's Association wants the canal to be lined with concrete to prevent future leakage. However, your economic advisers are conflicted about the viability of issuing more debt to repair or line this canal. Polling also suggests a one-time tax increase on durable and non-durable goods would be received very poorly by the villagers due to the tax increases currently in effect to repair the village after Orochimaru's attack. Some suggested cuts to other programs, but of course—"

"Fuck me," Jiraiya said, abruptly standing up from his chair and moving over to another cabinet by the wall. "We're taking a break from… all of this, and we're starting your sealing training, Sakura. I've been lazy teaching you and the brat will be all over me if I don't."

"Lord Fifth, there's no need to focus on me now," Sakura responded quickly.

"Yes, there is," Jiraiya growled back as he carried three scrolls from the cabinet to the desk. "You've read the scrolls I gave you a week ago, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Sakura answered meekly.

"Good, summarize the situations where chakra is required for a seal."

"It depends on the seal as the seal depends on the situation. However, all seals require chakra in some form," Sakura rattled off precisely, becoming more comfortable the longer she spoke. "A seal such as a storage seal will activate when the creator applies chakra to the seal. Seals placed on other humans or other chakra-bearing beings first require the seal maker to provide chakra to bond the seal to the chakra system, and then the seal will draw on the chakra of the being that the seal is placed onto. There are many other types of seals, and the needs for chakra will differ based on the seal and situation."

"Try not to use the writer's exact language as much, it's easier to internalize information when you translate it to how you actually speak," Jiraiya said with a satisfied expression. "But good job and summary."

"Since you have done the reading, now we can start with your first seal," Jiraiya stated, opening a scroll with Sakura watching on eagerly. "This will be a storage seal that will seal one kunai. As you know from your reading, inorganic material is much easier to place in a storage seal than organic material, but inorganic material has fewer requirements for the sealing environment. The more distinct objects in the seal and the greater the size and mass also increase the seal's difficulty. So, we're starting at the very basics here, but it's still not going to be easy for you."

"Understood, sensei," Sakura answered gravely, earning a grin from Jiraiya.

"Now you're going to making this seal with assistance, but you'll be unable to copy from me or anywhere else. Memorizing seals works for lesser ninja, but that's not why you're here. You need to understand how each part of the seal works to make your own seals no one has even thought of yet. The part beginners struggle with most is planning out where each symbol goes to allow for the interactions you need. I'll tell you where a character needs to go, but you'll provide the strokes yourself."

"And now we start," Jiraiya said, opening a blank scroll and presenting it along with a quill and ink and another scroll to Sakura. Jiraiya pointed to a spot on the parchment before speaking again. "Write the kanji here to set the seal environment. Pick any seal environment that would work, but try to minimize the chakra needed. The other scroll is the entire reference list of kanji you may need."

With a gulp, Sakura sat down in a nearby chair, picked up the scroll and began to read.

\--

“Hmm,” Jiraiya said, four hours later. The seal required only four parts, and one interaction and Sakura’s face was burning in embarrassment at how much of the Hokage’s time she had wasted. “Obviously, this would drain far too much chakra, but it would actually work. Good job, kid.”

“Anyone could do this,” Sakura mumbled.

“Yeah, bullshit,” Jiraiya answered. “This takes time to learn, and you’re a child. When I say you did a good job, you did good.”

“… Thank you, Lord Fifth,” Sakura said, her blush remaining but being from a different cause now.

“Your assignment for this next week is to design another seal for a single kunai but to minimize the amount of chakra used. You can use any of the scrolls from this room or the library that aren’t locked up. You are, of course, forbidden from applying chakra to see if the seal would work as you’re too inexperienced.”

“Understood, Lord Fifth,” Sakura answered as she rose to her feet to bow slightly. “… Lord Fifth, I am so sorry, but may I ask again for your decision on the canal repair?”

The humor and warmth present on Jiraiya’s face quickly drained at Sakura’s comment, the Hokage slouching back into his seat with a scowl.

“Sakura, let me ask you something,” Jiraiya said after a moment. “Why am I here in this job?”

“Lord Fifth…” Sakura began sounding confused.

“I’m a trained killer, and I’m really good at it. And being so good at killing that no one wants to attack the Leaf is a big part of being Hokage, I know. But all the rest of this shit? I know less than most of the restaurant owners in this town.”

“I never wanted this job,” Jiraiya said after a few moments of silence from himself and Sakura. “But now I don’t even know why I was selected for it.”

“I suppose it’s because people trust your ability to learn whatever you need to,” Sakura answered. “You are a brilliant shinobi, so perhaps economics and politics will come as easily.”

“They won’t,” Jiraiya responded with a sigh. After staring at the door to his office for a long moment, Jiraiya turned back to look at Sakura. “So, we can’t raise taxes, and we can’t take out loans, you said. What could we cut?”

“The vast majority of spending in the village is with regards to infrastructure, military forces, and medical care for the poor, elderly, and military,” Sakura answered quickly.

“Oh yeah, I’ll definitely be willing to cut money from there,” Jiraiya said, pouting. “Can we tell the farmers to kick rocks?”

“They’re worried that the leakage issue will worsen over time, and they are worried that a drought combined with the leakage could lead to a poor harvest,” Sakura said, passing over notes she took when the Farmer Association met with Jiraiya.

“Right, now I remember,” Jiraiya said, glancing at Sakura’s notes before sighing again. “Look… we’ll send shinobi still recovering from their injuries but strong enough to leave the hospital to clear out the rats along the canal. That should stop the leakage from getting worse. And we’ll tell the farmers we’ll look at concrete next year. Will anyone be pleased by that?”

“I’m not sure, Lord Fifth,” Sakura answered honestly.

\--

Jiraiya had forbidden Sakura from working weekends, and while Sakura hadn’t revealed who her sensei was, she had, unfortunately, told her work schedule to Ino. Ino had immediately arranged for a girls’ only party at her home the very next weekend, and Sakura felt too guilty to turn it down once she heard Hinata was going to be invited. Sakura knew this was a trap by Ino to get Sakura to divulge more, but Sakura was no longer sworn to secrecy, so she begrudgingly showed up to Ino’s home at the date and time specified.

“Sakura, it’s so good to see you!” Ino’s mother, Etsuko, said as she opened the door for Sakura and welcomed her into her home. “Ino and the others are in her room. Inoichi and I will have the Shabu-shabu ready in a few hours.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Sakura said, waving her hands and looking embarrassed.

“We don’t, but we want to,” Etsuko answered with a smile. “It’s been so long since we had you over for dinner, and I know you aren’t a child anymore, but we’re still happy to have you.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Sakura said, bowing slightly, eliciting a chuckle from Etsuko as Ino walked into the room.

“Hey, Sakura, come on!” Ino yelled from the doorway. Hinata and Tenten are already here, and you’re the person everyone wants to hear from!”

“Yeah, I know,” Sakura grumbled as she bowed again to Etsuko before following Ino to her room.

It had been years since Sakura had visited Ino’s room. Tasteful flowers and calm blue paint were still prevalent, but gone were the old pictures of Sakura and Ino, replaced with pictures of Team 10 instead. Sakura felt an unexpected pang in her heart as she noticed the missing photos, but tried to regain her composure as Tenten approached her.

“Have not seen you in a while,” Tenten said with a smirk. “I heard a couple of interesting things, though.”

“Hello, Sakura,” Hinata mumbled, sitting at the foot of Ino’s bed as it appeared Tenten and Ino had been previously.

“Hi, Hinata!” Sakura answered brightly before turning back to Tenten, eyebrow slightly cocked. “What type of things?”

“Nothing much,” Tenten said as she walked back to where Hinata sat, Ino, and Sakura behind her. “Just that you’re getting to work under Anko.”

Sakura stared at Tenten for a moment before breaking out into a smile and laughing as she and the others sat down on the floor. Tenten looking mildly embarrassed, and Ino looking eager.

“Well, if you really want to know what’s going on, I’ll tell you,” Sakura said with a smirk. “I am the student of the Fifth Hokage.”

“Bullshit!” Ino yelled. “You have to tell us what’s actually going on!”

“No lies here, Ino,” Sakura replied lazily as she and Ino stared at each other.

“Holy shit, you’re telling the truth,” Ino responded after reading Sakura’s face. “So, is it just political training or shinobi training or what?”

“I’m his main political assistant, and he plans to make me a sealing master,” Sakura replied smugly, extreme jealously written on the faces of Tenten and Ino.

“Congratulations, Sakura,” Hinata said with a weak smile.

“I mean, yeah, sure, but why you?” Ino demanded of Sakura.

“Well, Naruto actually has a close relationship with Lord Fifth, and he just kept annoying sensei enough until he agreed to take me as a student,” Sakura said weakly.

“There your boyfriend goes again, Hinata,” Tenten sighed as Hinata turned very red. “How did Naruto get so close to a legendary shinobi like Jiraiya anyway?”

“It’s probably because Jiraiya was the sensei of Naruto’s father,” Hinata mumbled.

“What are you talking about, Hinata?” Sakura asked in confusion as Ino and Tenten looked on blankly.

“Jiraiya was the teacher of Lord Fourth,” Hinata answered.

“Hinata, what are you saying? What does the Fourth Hokage have to do with Naruto?” Ino asked nonplussed.

“Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage?” Hinata responded, looking confused at the confusion of the others.

Moments passed in silence as the other girls stared at Hinata, Hinata herself growing more confused and anxious.

“Did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean to offend anyone,” Hinata said.

“Hinata… Why do you think that Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage?” Tenten asked. Sakura was personally worried that Hinata’s fantasies had crept into a delusion, and Ino looked worried also.

“Because he is?” Hinata responded.

“Please detail the steps that led you to believe that Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage,” Ino said as calmly as possible.

“Okay… I discovered when I was 10. I was looking at old photographs of my mother and noticed that Naruto looked similar to Lord Fourth. I searched for more information about Lord Fourth and found letters between my mother and the wife of Lord Fourth, Kushina Uzumaki. Some of the letters also detailed that Kushina was pregnant, and the events described in the letters suggested the letters were written a few months before Naruto’s birth. Then, of course, Naruto shares the name of the main character of a novel written by Lord Fifth, Lord Fourth’s sensei.”

“…I apologize if I am being rude,” Hinata mumbled, looking at the stunned faces around her. “I must not understand the context of speaking about Lord Fourth, and I am sorry if I caused offense.”

“Oh, my fucking god, Hinata, you’re a genius!” Tenten yelled as Hinata winced at the volume, vulgarity, and praise.

“How didn’t we figure this out?” Sakura asked Ino and herself as her mind reeled.

“Not even Shikamaru pieced this together,” Ino said, mouth agape at the revelation.

“… I don’t understand the joke,” Hinata mumbled, looking very uncomfortable. “But, please stop making fun of me.”

“Hinata, we’re not making fun of you,” Sakura said quickly. “We had no idea.”

“That’s not possible,” Hinata responded harshly. “This was easy to discover, I know everyone is cleverer than me and discovered years before me. Why are you making fun of me?”

“It is obvious when you know what you’re looking for, Hinata, but… when we saw Naruto, we just saw a loser and didn’t look deeper,” Ino said, looking up at the ceiling. “When we saw how Naruto and the Fourth Hokage looked similar, we just thought it was a coincidence. That the Fourth Hokage’s son couldn’t be someone as lame as Naruto.”

“… I see,” Hinata answered, some anger appearing on her face.

“I know you care about Naruto, and you’re not happy we didn’t,” Sakura said quickly. “I treated him badly, I know. But I do care now. Hinata, can I make this up to you by telling you where Naruto is?”

“You know?!” Hinata yelped, leaning towards Sakura.

“Naruto is on a… multiple-year training trip with Tsunade Senju,” Sakura said, quickly realizing this would not help Hinata’s mood.

“Him?!” Tenten screamed as Hinata’s face froze, and Ino gasped again. “I never got to speak to Lady Tsunade while she was in the village, and now this asshole gets to spend years with her?!”

“Yeah, that’s the important issue here,” Ino huffed as she reached over to hold the hand of a catatonic Hinata.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in, give me suggestions on what I should change in my writing style if you have the time and interest. And if you liked the chapter, it would be cool if you gave Kudos.


End file.
